Mystery
by sharingstories2
Summary: They were a mystery to each other and they'd be damned if the didn't figure each other out
1. Chapter 1

The day Riley Matthews met Peter Parker was similar to that of any other day. Riley had moved home due to her mother needing to move on a case. It was only for twelve months and Riley Matthews counted down the days till she could go home. They went home every other weekend due the fact that Riley's father and brother had stayed in Greenwich Village. It was a technical fault, her father's contract wouldn't let him leave till the end of his notice and Auggie unlike Riley hadn't been registered in any school yet. So it was just Riley and Topanga against the world.

When Riley had entered the school on the Monday morning she peaked everyone's interest. They very rarely got new students. In fact the new gossip was a relief for one of its students, Peter Parker. He had to listen as people gossiped about the local hero, Spider Man. Peter just wished that he could tell them who he was, alas that would be impossible, and he would place everyone in danger. So Peter Parker ignored the new girl who he thought was quite gorgeous and focused on his school work. Well… he would if she wasn't smarter than him. His classmates had cottoned on to the fact that maybe, just maybe he had competition and had of course ridiculed him mercilessly. He had ignored them as always but the strange girl seemed to defend him. She told people that he was smarter, he just didn't raise his hand quick enough, this had made the superhero want to talk to her but he already had enough people to worry about. In fact he had decided to just ignore her all together. That was until she ran smack bang into him.  
"Oh My God, I am so, so sorry!" she squeaked. He helped her up  
"It's my fault" he said as he began picking her things up, she smiled gratefully.  
"Thanks" she said. He smiled, boyishly.  
"It's okay, look Urm Miss Matthews? I'm really sorry but I've got to go" he smiled at her before running down the corridor. She smiled at his retreating figure.

It was only after he got home, after he had done his Spiderman duties that he realised she had his journal. He began panicking, he had no way to contact her. He looked at the clock and groaned, he had to be up in four hours for school, so he collapsed on his bed. He would find her tomorrow.

Yet for the entire day Peter couldn't find her and the receptionist said that she was in all his classes! He sighed, defeated until he got home to find her on his doorstep.  
"Riley?" she smiled, pulling her leather jacket tighter. He looked up to see his Aunt May opening the door.  
"Peter?" she asked, the teens smiled.  
"It's okay Aunt May she's just a friend, go inside I'll be in, in a minuet." She did as he asked and Peter sat next to Riley.  
"Here" she said handing him his journal.  
"Don't worry I didn't read it" he smiled at her, putting the journal in his pocket.  
"I should probably go, my mum finishes work soon and I have to be home before she does" he nodded and watched her go mutely. Even behind she looked beautiful, sighing he got up and went inside.  
"She's a keeper" his aunt said, he said nothing and went upstairs.

Riley Matthews observed Peter Parker since that day she sat on his steps, he was a mystery. When school finished he was out of there like a shot, she had taken to stalking him (for completely educational purposes of course) but had found nothing. Riley had found her match and she didn't like losing.

Peter Parker observed Riley Matthews, it wasn't creepy since nobody knew anything about her. They knew the basics, her mother was a lawyer, her father was a teacher elsewhere and she had a little brother but that was it. She never stayed in School longer than she had to and she was always writing something down. In fact it wasn't until the second week of him observing her that he found out anything. She was talking on the phone to a boy named Auggie. From the way she was speaking it seemed Auggie was younger and possibly related. He left it at that, not bothering to find out anymore.

Peter never intended to end up in a closet with Riley, he had been beaten the day before by The Lizard and had come to school bloody and bruised. It was at lunch that she dragged him in to the closet, grabbing his T-shirt and pulling it over his head, his eyes grew wide that he was topless in front of the unknown girl but she just pulled some medical things out of her bag and began cleaning up his wounds. When she was done she asked him how he obtained his injuries he remained quiet. She laughed  
"You're a mystery Peter Parker" and then she leaned into him, her hot breath tickling his ear.  
"I like mysteries" and then she walked away like nothing had ever occurred. He only realised later that she had slipped her number into his pocket.

Since that day Riley had taken to tending to his injuries, asking each time how he was getting hurt. He always said nothing and in return he asked her why she didn't make any attempt to get to know anyone.  
"You've become the nicest person here Riley, you help everyone and everyone loves you, even the bullies. How do you do that with them anyway? But that aside you haven't made an effort to know people personally, why?" she grinned at him slyly, making his heart beat.  
"I have you don't I?" and he had no reply to that.

Everyone had begun to think they were an item, or sleeping together or something because the constant texting and winning smiles was too much. Even their guardians, Aunt May had made sly digs to try and out Peters new lady friend and Topanga had asked outright if Riley had a boyfriend, both teens denied but still thought of each other.

It was a rainy day when Riley told peter her reason for isolation.  
"I want to make friends but I can't, my mum's job only keeps her here for a year and I don't want to have a reason to stay" he said nothing to that. So she tended to his injuries, yet unlike before she stayed instead of leaving.  
"Peter… uh I'm leaving for a week tomorrow, I'm going home" he nodded  
"Okay… uh before you do can I ask you something?" she nodded.  
"How do you know how to tend to all these injuries?" she laughed and threw her head back, he felt himself shiver.  
"That's a story for another time" and then like all the other times she left the closet as Peter sunk to the ground, Riley Matthews was a mystery and he was completely hooked.

It was unplanned, he just knew he had to do it, he couldn't let her go without saying goodbye. So he ran to her house and caught her as she was placing luggage into her mum's car.  
"Riley!" he yelled, she turned to him and smiled.  
"Hey Peter" he smiled at her and then turned to Topanga.  
"Hey Mrs Matthews is it okay if I borrow Riley for a sec?" she nodded and smiled at the boy who took Riley away into a corner.  
"Hey… Urm I just wanted to see you off" she laughed at him.  
"You seem to be doing a fine job" he blushed heavily. She pulled out a small plastic bag and handed it to him.  
"These should last you till I come back, there's instructions in there somewhere but peter? Just because you have the means to clean yourself up do not for one second think that you can get hurt!" he nodded.  
"Riley, say bye to your friend, we've got to go" they looked to her mum and nodded. Peter gave Riley a picture  
"Urm… I took this of you a couple of weeks ago" she looked at it, it was a picture of her and some of the younger neighbourhood kids playing. She smiled and pulled him into a hug.  
"I need to tell you something" she said, he pulled back and looked at her.  
"I know who you are" she told him before running to the car, leaving him with a million questions.

Riley was in Topanga's with all her friends when he text her.  
 **Peter: so you gonna tell me what you mean by you know who I am?**

She glanced at her phone and began typing.  
 **Riley: I think we all know what I mean, Mr Arachnid**

 **Peter: I dunno what you mean Miss Matthews, I'm allergic to spiders**

At this Riley began laughing. Her friends stared at her  
"Who you texting Riles?" Maya asked. Riley smiled at her best friend shyly.  
"Just someone from school" she could tell her friends were disappointed. She had come home to spend some time with her friends. She was about to say something when her phone buzzed again.  
 **Peter: not saying that I am since I hate spiders but how did you come to the conclusion?**

Riley shook her head.  
"Guys, I just gotta make a phone call. I'll be back in a sec okay?" they all grumbled and she ran outside and rang him.  
"So?" he asked. She took a deep breath  
"I've been cleaning you up for the past six months, I did some research and found a pattern between you and the superhero." She heard him sigh  
"You not gonna deny it?" she asked.  
"No… Look Riley-"  
"I know it's a super-secret and even your aunt May doesn't know" he was about to reply when her friends shouted her over.  
"Peter I gotta go but I'll ring you up tonight" he didn't have chance to reply before she hung up.

Maya was sat outside Riley's window listening to her conversation, since she'd been back Riley had been different and Maya didn't understand why.  
"Alright Hot Shot, if you insist." There was a pause before Riley said anything else  
"I'm not saying you aren't hot, I'm just saying I've seen better" at this Maya knocked on her window, since when does Riley flirt?. Riley said goodbye to whoever he was and welcomed Maya in. The blonde smiled at her.  
"Alright who is he?"  
"Who?" riley asked, playing dumb.  
"Your new boyfriend" Riley smiled at her.  
"He's just a friend, who by the way has some major bigheadedness" Maya smiled at her best friend. It seemed moving had done her well, the girl practically glowed.  
"You like him though?" Maya asked. Riley's face fell.  
"It's… complicated" and Maya didn't ask anymore.

The day was abysmal for Peter, Riley wasn't back and he had to go through his uncle's death day alone. So it was safe to say he was pretty upset, his spirits lifted when he came home and saw her sat there. Drinking tea with Aunt May. He placed his bags on the table  
"Riley?" he asked, scared that she wasn't real.  
"Hey" she replied, the teens just stared at each other. May coughed  
"This young lady brought us some flowers, for Ben" he just stared at her. She coughed  
"Yeah…"  
"How did you know?" he asked. She shrugged  
"People talk" he nodded  
"I'm sure they do" May suggested they go up to Peter's room, Riley followed him up there.

He turned on her and pulled her into a hug  
"Not that I'm not glad to see you but I really have to get ready, this time of year is the highest for criminal activity and Spiderman has to you know." She sighed  
"That's part of the reason I came back, I cannot in good conscience let you go out on the anniversary of bens death, you are notorious for being well savage at this time Peter" he smiled at her but ran around grabbing his things.  
"You can't stop me Riley" she grabbed his hands, he stopped short and before either of them could comprehend what was happening she was kissing him. When she pulled back she rested her forehead against his.  
"If you go Peter I will never speak to you again" he gulped and kissed her again, more roughly. When he pulled back he frowned.  
"I'm sorry Riley" and then he jumped out the window.

Riley was true to her word, she had gotten on the train home before he got back, then when she was at school she ignored him. He had gotten so frustrated that he had gone to her house, only to find she had gone back to Greenwich, he had gotten the next train he could. Riley Matthews was a one in a million and he'd be damned if he let her get away.

Riley was sat in Topanga's with Zay, whilst Lucas and Maya and Farkle and Smackle sat on their separate dates a few tables away. She heard her name being called and looked up to see Peter Parker stood in the door way.  
"Peter?" she asked.  
"Jesus Riley you are one hard lady to find" she nodded mutely before realising her friends had al crowded around her.  
"Urm Guys this is Peter… from my other school, Peter… these are my friends" she finished lamely.  
"Are they part of the mystery?" he asked, Riley laughed as her friends looked dumbfounded.  
"They are part of my mystery but they themselves aren't a mystery. Maya, my best friend in the whole world, she's the rebel. Lucas, my friend. He's a good guy when you get to know him, Farkle. Well look up the name Minkus and you'll know why I know so much about injures, he's been my friend nearly as long as Maya. Smackle, the only girl I know who can keep us all on our toes, she's one of a kind and the there's Zay. He brings us all together with a bow. He's our comedian" her friends looked impressed with her explanations. Maya stepped forward  
"You are?" she asked. Peter smiled at her  
"Peter Parker, smartest guy at school apparently… well until Riley appeared." Everyone laughed.  
"Riley can I talk to you?" he asked. Riley nodded and followed him outside. Topanga came out from behind the counter.  
"Is that Peter?" they all nodded  
"Good he may finally ask her out."

Meanwhile outside Peter sat across from Riley.  
"I'm sorry, I should've stayed. I wanted to but I just… this is part of who I am and I can't turn it off. I didn't do anything rash I swear…" she looked down.  
"I know… I kept an eye on the internet" she stood up abruptly.  
"I didn't want to care! I really hate you, you gave me these godamned feelings and I can't turn them off, I didn't want a reason to stay so why the hell did you give me a reason?-" he cut her off by pulling her into his lap and kissing her. When she pulled back, she laughed. Her brown locks fell across his face.  
"We really shouldn't cut each other off like this" he just stared at her and traced her face with his finger.  
"You're gorgeous" she snorted and stood up.  
"You're a geek" she said walking off, he followed her  
"You're a nerd" she laughed at me.  
"Nice come back weirdo" he laughed.

They spent the rest of the day with Riley's friends and family, her father being the only one that didn't like him but he was coming around.

When it came time for Riley to leave Peter and go back home they had an emotional farewell. Riley couldn't stay away for long and visited Peter every weekend, reprimanding him for not treating his injuries. At the end of the year Riley graduated and the two had just begun figuring out each others mysteries. Only Peter had one more trick up his sleeve. He stood on stage at the after party.  
"Is Riley here?" he asked, Riley looked up.  
"Hey Riles, you wannna come you here so I can see you" everyone stared at her, they never believed he actually existed.  
"Hey" he said, jumping off the stage. She laughed  
"Hey" and then she kissed him, a long drawn out kiss. When she pulled back he dragged her onto the dance floor. The two the proceeded to dance the night away.

It was afterwards as the couple lay on her bed, fully clothed, giggling like school girls.  
"So you think you've figured me out yet arachnid?" she asked. He turned to her and kissed her once more.  
"No but I hope I never do" and then he kissed her again.


	2. Dear readers

Dear readers.

This is to address something that quite a few people have noticed, whether you have only read this story or others you may have noticed that a lot of my stories carry dark themes such as

· Suicide

· Mental illness

· Rape

· Abuse (of any kind)

· Self-harm

So I feel the need to stress this and I need your help. If you have read any of my stories and they have triggers, even if the trigger seems really remote could you please leave a review or private message, as much as the stories I write are for the reader's enjoyment sometimes they can be very triggering. Thank you.

That is not the reason I have written this note. I am here today to tell everyone that they are worth it, even if you don't believe it, I do. You are all stronger than what ails you and what ails you can be defeated, I believe that everyone has an inner battle inside them but you can survive. If you are experiencing anything, whether it be mental illness or you have been through a traumatic experience, hell even if you just feel sad or upset it is okay to get help. It is okay. I understand this is scary and it could mean that you will have to experience changes that you are not ready for but it will all be worth it. You can get there.

I want to wish everyone reading this all the happiness in the world, you deserve it. Remember you all have beautiful souls and its okay to feel sad and alone or whatever you are feeling. I want you to know that even if you feel like no one believes in you, I do.

Thank you all, I hope you all find happiness and joy in your lives.

\- Sharingstories2


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